DreamCricket.com is wrapping up the year in United States Cricket by recognizing USA’s standout performers at the international level. The 2013 New Inning Foundation Batsman of the Year is Steven Taylor.

The 20-year-old from south Florida is the first repeat winner of the award after first claiming it in 2011 and takes over from last year’s winner, Sushil Nadkarni.

Taylor had a prolific 2013, finishing as USA’s leading scorer in both 50-over and Twenty20 cricket. In the process, he became the all-time leader for USA in runs scored in Twenty20 cricket, a status that may not be relinquished for a very long time. It’s just one of many pages he has already rewritten in USA’s record books, with many more yet to be penned.

USA’s first tournament of the year was the ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament in Florida. Playing on grounds virtually in his backyard, Taylor roasted the regional bowling attacks to the tune of 413 runs at an average of 59.00 with a strike rate of 160.70. He had 109 more runs than the next best player, Bermuda’s Janeiro Tucker with 304 runs, and more than double that of his closest USA teammate, Akeem Dodson’s 173 runs.

During the ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 tournament, Taylor broke Aditya Thyagarajan’s three-year-old record for highest Twenty20 score by a USA player of 72 not out against Ireland. The new record of 95, made on the first day of the tournament against Cayman Islands, lasted just four days.

Taylor enjoyed setting the record so much on the first day that he broke it two more times in the tournament. He became the first USA player to score a century in Twenty20 cricket when he made 101 off 62 balls against Bermuda. Two days later, he bettered that by notching 127 not out in 62 balls against Cayman Islands.

Taylor’s best was arguably yet to come. In the first match of ICC World Cricket League Division Three, he produced the second highest score ever by a USA batsman in any format, 162 in 102 balls in a 94-run win over Nepal. He wound up as the leading run scorer at Division Three with 274 runs.

At the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in November, Taylor once again finished as USA’s leading scorer with 271 runs, good for seventh overall at the event, and had more than twice as many as his next closest teammate. For the 2013 calendar year, he fell just short of making 1000 combined runs. Taylor made 983 runs overall in senior cricket, including 709 runs in Twenty20 matches at an average of 44.31.

New Inning Foundation and DreamCricket.com congratulate Steven Taylor on his achievement. In recognition of his achievement, Taylor will receive a plaque as well as a $200 DreamCricket.com Pavilion Shop gift certificate sponsored by New Inning Foundation.